Stretching is a technique that has been utilized to release tension in the muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons of the body with the beneficial practice being widely recognized for many centuries.
It is extremely important to stretch your muscles as this keeps them youthful and strong which allows them to carry you through your everyday activities. Stretching your muscles provides different benefits when performed in the morning, in the evening, or both.
Stretching in the evening provides you with a technique to wind your body down, prepare your body to lay for an average of eight hours, improve your flexibility, and aid in injury prevention.
On the other hand, stretching in the morning provides you with a technique to work out all the kinks and aches, work out the stiffness of joints, relieve stress, and get your blood flowing to wake up the muscles and brain. There are various stretching poses for both times of day that can provide you with your desired outcome.
Creating a quick stretching routine for both the morning and night can be life-changing for you in many ways such as increased flexibility, pain relief, reduced stress, having a peaceful night’s sleep, and opening your muscles.
Let’s examine each routine – stretching at bed time and stretching in the morning – to determine whether whether one is better than the other and what direct benefits you receive from one or the other.
Stretching At Night Before Bed
Introduction
The best way to end the day is to let go of everything you’ve been holding on to, especially tension. As you focus your thoughts on stillness and bring awareness to your breath, your body begins to relax naturally, preparing you for a good night’s sleep.
Stretching at night can help you fall asleep faster and avoid sleep-related pain. Stretching not only relaxes you, but also, keeps your muscles flexible, reducing the chance of soreness during regular tasks. It allows you to release some of the stress that has accumulated throughout the day, enabling your body and mind to relax in preparation for a pleasant night’s sleep.
Benefits of Stretching at Night:
There are many benefits of stretching before you go to bed. Here are some of them to consider.
- It’s a healthy way to obtain a better night’s rest. It relieves muscle tension so that you don’t wake up in pain.
- It aids children in unwinding for the night. A few simple stretches can help your children relax and prepare for bed by aiding them in relaxation.
- It aids adults in winding down for the night. Many adults find it difficult to forget about their stressful days, but stretching can aid in relaxing not only the body but the mind as well.
- Flexibility is improved by stretching. Unfortunately, as people age, they lose flexibility. Performing a few simple nightly stretches can help to increase the flexibility of the body.
- It aids in the prevention of injuries. Stretching improves both flexibility and balance. This makes it less likely for people to fall and injure themselves. This is especially true in the case of the elderly.
What Parts of Your Body Should You Stretch?
Since there are so many different stretches that you could do, you might want to focus on the following areas of the body:
- Neck and Shoulders
Stretching before bed is vital as most adults carry their stress in the form of tension in their necks and shoulders. It’s also beneficial to loosen your neck because you’re less likely to wake up with tightness. - Feet
Many individuals spend most of their day on their feet, so don’t overlook them! This can help you sleep while also relaxing your feet and improving your balance! - Hips
Open your hips if you spend most of your day sitting. Sitting can create a lot of tension in the muscles and joints, and such pains should be worked out at the end of the day.
Finally, if you’re having difficulties sleeping, stretching may be a great aid to help you get more rest. It allows you to focus on your breathing and mobility rather than the pressures of the day. You may notice that your body begins to wind down as you begin working out all the tension that life’s stressors have bestowed upon you.
Four Types of Night Stretches:
1. Standing Forward Fold
Stand with your feet approximately six inches apart and fold your body over, reaching for the ground or bending arms and gripping opposing elbows over your head from the hips. Exhale and stretch your neck from the crown to the nape of your neck. Hold the position for 15 seconds.
2. Bear Hug
Inhale as you stand tall and stretch your arms wide. Exhale as you embrace yourself by crossing your arms and placing your right arm over your left. Breathe deeply as you bring your shoulders forward with your hands. For 30 seconds, hold this stretch.
To release, take a deep breath and extend your arms wide again. Exhale and do it again, this time with your left arm on top. This stretch targets your upper back’s rhomboids and trapezius muscles. It relieves stiffness and soreness in the shoulder blades caused by bad posture, bursitis, or frozen shoulder.
3. Up the Wall
Roll onto your back with your legs facing the wall. Legs perpendicular to the ground, lift them and rest their backs flat on the wall. Place your palms up and your arms out to the sides. For a total of 15 seconds, stay in this posture.
Everyone who spends the day on their feet will benefit from this stretch. Blood returns to the heart when the legs are elevated, which lowers inflammation, therefore reducing pain.
4. Corpse Pose
Climb into bed with your legs spread and place your arms at your sides, palms up. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Maintain this position for 15 seconds or until you fall asleep.
Stretching in the Morning
Introduction
While you sleep, your muscles relax, blood flow decreases, and your heart rate decreases. If you sleep in the same position all night, your muscles will tighten. After sleeping, humans, like other animals, stretch to wake up the muscles and get the blood flowing. Stretching and boosting blood flow after a long night’s sleep feels good all over the body.
In addition to the morning stretch, you may enhance your body and mind by creating a stretching routine. Whether you walk around all day or sit at a desk, you should stretch regardless of your daily activities. Stretching after a full night’s sleep improves mobility, prevents injury, and strengthens brain function throughout the day.
Everyone has their own set of rules and interpretations of what it means to “wake up.” Some people work overnight shifts and sleep during the day, while others work throughout the day and sleep at night. As a result, remember to stretch anytime you “wake up” for the day, or even after a brief period of relaxation, such as a nap.
Benefits of Stretching in the Morning:
- Stress Reliever:
You may feel anxious about the day ahead when you first wake up. Instead, focus your attention on stretching your entire body. This will help to alleviate stress caused by physiological or psychological disorders. Stress causes a build-up of tension in your body. Stretch your muscles for a few minutes each morning to help them relax. Stress reduction may be extremely beneficial to your day. - Fewer Aches and Pains:
Stretching in the morning might help relieve joint and muscular pain. These aches can occur at any time during the day, but you usually notice them first thing in the morning since you’ve been sleeping all night. A buildup of fluid in the spinal discs and joints causes morning discomfort. Mild stretches can be done to relieve joint soreness. Consider holding an assisted stretching session for your staff if you operate a business. This might take 10-20 minutes but will leave staff feeling revitalized which will then heighten their energy and work ethic. - MUSCLE TIGHTNESS:
Consider how your body feels after a two-hour movie and the importance of extending your legs. When you double that stiffness by four, you can understand how critical stretching in the morning is for reducing muscle tension. Stretching lengthens and stretches muscles, making it a terrific way to start the day. - JOINT STIFFNESS:
One of the most prevalent side effects of a long night with no activity is joint stiffness, especially when other variables like sleeping in a chilly atmosphere are considered. Stretching improves joint range of motion, which helps to relieve stiffness and soreness in problem areas including the lower back, neck, and knees. - FULL BODY FLEXIBILITY:
You warm up before going to the gym to work on your shoulders, chest, or legs, right? Exercise causes your muscles to contract, which makes them tight, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your day is full of small workout sessions that you don’t even notice. You exercise your legs and put stress on your knees as you walk from your car to work. You exercise your arms and shoulder joints while you sit in front of your computer. While the everyday movement is not as intense as a gym workout, it nonetheless puts strain on the muscles and joints that should be worked out. - ENHANCED CIRCULATION:
Improved circulation to the extremities facilitates movement and decreases muscular tension that accumulates after eight hours of inactivity. Stretching in the morning raises the demand for blood in the muscles, raising your heart rate. - WAKING YOUR BRAIN UP:
The brain, which works like a computer, controls every function in the body, including breathing, muscle movement, and heart rate. A morning stretch helps to bring the brain back online by activating all these components. It’s a terrific way to clear the cobwebs and wake up your central nervous system even before your morning coffee.
Four Types of Morning Time Stretches
1. Shoulder Stretch
Reach one arm across your body and gently use your other arm to deepen the stretch while relaxing your shoulder blades in a back and down motion. Hold for 15-20 seconds before switching sides.
2. Quad Stretch
If necessary, grasp onto a wall or a chair to help you stand up straight. Maintain a hip-width distance between your feet. With your left hand, reach back and grab your left foot. Maintain a straight line between your thighs and your hip with your left leg. Feel the stretch in your hips and left thigh. Repeat the process with your right leg.
3. Hamstring stretch
Stand tall and slowly bend one knee, as if you are about to sit down. Place the opposing leg straight out in front of you, toes pointed to the ceiling. To experience a great stretch along the back of your outstretched leg, bend forward from your hips. Hold for 10-15 seconds before switching to the other leg.
4. Calf Stretches
Step back on one leg and slowly push your heel towards the ground and with your hands on a wall for support to experience a wonderful stretch along the back of your calf. Repeat on the opposite leg for another 10-15 seconds.
Difference Between Night Stretching and Morning Stretching
Nobody likes to wake up with aches and pains. Pinched nerves and knots in our muscles lead us to wake up with unpleasant painful, numb, or tingling feelings. Our bodies typically lie in unusual postures for hours on end as we sleep. You might wake up with tightness and soreness even though you stretched before going to bed when your muscles felt supple and relaxed. In this situation, jumping out of bed and sprinting is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Especially if you enjoy running or going out early thing in the morning.
Stretching is an excellent way to start your day. Morning is the vital period in which you should check in with your body to see what doesn’t feel quite right. Take the time to gently extend and align your body before you begin the day ahead of you. When we get ready for bed, our bodies are completely different physiologically and chemically than when we get up in the morning. Stretching first thing in the morning might help release any tension or soreness that has built up over the night. It also improves blood circulation and prepares your body for the day ahead.
On the other hand, stretching before bedtime helps to relax your muscles aiding you to have a restful night’s sleep. Your body has been working hard for you all day and it deserves a little love. Even the calmest days may become stressful. You may wake up with a lot of aches and pains if you go to bed with built-up tension.
If you stretch out your muscles and remove tension before going to bed, you are far more likely to wake up without soreness. This is also a wonderful time to be kind to yourself and relax before going to bed. Try to make stretching a relaxing practice. Turn down the lights and put on some relaxing music maybe with a candle, incense, or essential oils.
Your body does so much for you throughout the day. You can only return the favor by being kind to it and creating routines to heal your tensions. Doing so will then make all your bodily processes easier which will allow you to feel better more often. Everything you do has a cause and effect. It’s like karma, what goes around comes around, and it should be used for good.
